This book tells the story of a Navy craft on the eve of the Marines’ landing on the island of Iwo Jima. It is not a story of the small boat per se (the craft is Landing Craft Infantry 449) but the stories of the men who make up the crew of Landing Craft Infantry 449. This is the first naval history book I read of World War Two as an adult. I certainly enjoyed it and learned a lot from it in terms of human nature, war and humanity. In this review I want to first note the helpful format of the book and then discuss the content of the book itself.